


New Year's Resolutions

by Ava_now



Series: Barollins AU [14]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M, New Year's Eve, Oral Sex, Rafael Barba's mouth that's either talking or working but always busy, Vaginal Sex, domestic fluff and smut, eating and love, toasting and kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:01:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28494267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ava_now/pseuds/Ava_now
Summary: Eighteen months ago he had shown up again on her doorstep, and she had invited him into her life.  A year ago they started dating.  A week ago they realized just how perfect the fit really is.Rafael Barba and Amanda Rollins are resolved to have an incredible New Year--together.
Relationships: Rafael Barba & Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba/Amanda Rollins
Series: Barollins AU [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1760629
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	New Year's Resolutions

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy this fic, set on New Year's Eve. It probably would have been posted on NYE, if my internet hadn't gone out. 
> 
> At any rate, this fic is really kind of a part two to I'll Be Home For Christmas. If you've read that, you know that Rafael and Amanda were discussing their relationship and making some decisions about the future. I picture Barba as the kind of person who really likes to check off the boxes on his to-do list, so there's no way he was going to let this wait for very long.
> 
> Oh, and if you've never had baked brie, you need to. It isn't at all hard to make and it's quite impressive for company, not to mention incredibly delicious. Barba has good taste! Happy reading!

“Thank you so much, Rafael!” Olivia was shocked at what she was holding--a travel voucher for an upper New York state ski resort. It covered a week-long stay for up to four people. “This is too generous--I just can’t accept this…”

“Don’t be silly,” he told her. “I can’t use it this year and I’d much rather you and Noah have it. Plus you can take along a friend, if you like.” He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes. “I know it’s tacky to give you something I didn’t buy specifically FOR you, but--”

“Oh, please! I’m happy to take as many of your leftovers as you’ll hand over!” She hugged him tightly. “I really do appreciate this, Rafael. Noah will love it, and so will I!” She handed him a glass of wine and they both settled down on her couch for a visit. “I know the tie clip we got you isn’t anywhere near as nice as this…”

“I love it,” he told her, grinning. The small enamel clip had been made from an abstract painting Noah had created, and he truly did love it. He knew he’d be smiling every time he looked at it. But he also had an alternative motive up his sleeve; he hadn’t stopped by just to play Publisher’s Clearinghouse Prize Patrol. “So. Are you and Noah still planning to stay home on New Year’s Eve?”

“We are. Let me guess, you’re looking for a sitter for Amanda’s girls?” Liv wiggled her eyebrows at him, trying to tease about the relationship, and he snorted in response.

“Just Jesse. Billie is going to be with Al and his family that night, I think.” Olivia had no idea how important this was, how this night could change their lives. “Do you think you might be able to do it?”

“Sure,” she agreed, taking a sip of her wine. “What time are you hoping for?” She sipped her wine slowly, taking in the fact his foot was tapping and his fingers were drumming on the back of the couch. “And what is going on? You’re about to chew a hole through your bottom lip!”

He sighed heavily, as though he were about to break some difficult news, and reached deep into the front pocket of his jeans. Carefully, he pulled out an old jewelry box, big enough to hold a ring. He opened it and handed it to Olivia.

“Oh my God,” she breathed. “Rafa...it’s beautiful. Was this your abuelita’s?” She suddenly looked up at him. “You’re going to ask her to marry you?”

He wasn’t sure if she approved or not, but it didn’t matter. “Yes, and yes,” he replied. “I did have the ring altered and added garnet and topaz to either side of the diamond...those are the girls’ birthstones...and I obviously had it cleaned...the jeweler said the setting is still strong.” He couldn’t help but smile. “I’m hopeful she’ll really like it.”

Olivia’s eyes moved upward to his face as he carried on about the ring. She’d never heard him this excited to give anyone anything. Although it wasn’t like he had dated anyone very seriously before Amanda--he’d mainly had a series of very short, casual relationships speckled with one-night stands. Or vice versa, she wasn’t sure. And she would have never thought that he and Amanda Rollins would hit it off and see one another more than a handful of times. Then again, by the time she found out about it, they’d already made it past six months. And, as he said, by then it was no big deal.

No big deal. Heh. By that point, she’d figured it was probably too late to let him know about the ridiculous schoolgirl crush she’d been nursing off and on toward him for the last eight years. And it was definitely too late to say anything to Amanda. What would she say, anyway? That she was waiting for the right moment, when the truth was she’d always thought more that she had him in a back pocket of sorts. Someone she could count on if nobody better came along. He’d treated her like he idolized her at times, hung on her words, gazed as though she were beautiful, showed up at any time, day or night, when she needed him. Which were probably all the reasons Amanda was in love with him. All of the reasons he was going to make an excellent husband, even if he was afraid he wouldn’t.

“Liv?” He was looking concerned, and she suddenly realized he had asked her something.

“I’m sorry, what?” she asked, and he leaned forward, smirking nervously.

“I asked you if you thought I could do this. The whole husband thing. Although you zoning out on me doesn’t make me overly confident,” he teased, although there was a slight bite to his tone that made her think part of him really wondered.

She shook her head. “Are you kidding? You can do anything you set your mind to, Rafa. You love Amanda, and she loves you.” She placed a hand over his. “Seriously, there’s something about the two of you together. It makes sense.”

His expression morphed back into an easy, confident grin. “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” he asked, tucking the ring box back into his pocket. “Can one of us drop Jesse off around six?”

“Sure. Tell her we’re gonna have a pizza party and watch Christmas movies and eat ice cream.” Liv followed him to the door, opening it for him.

“You’re a brave woman, Olivia Benson,” he told her, shaking his head. 

“Get used to it, Barba. It’s what you’re signing up for.” Hugging him, she added, “You can do it, Rafa. And you’ll do it beautifully well.”

***

“You look stunning.”

Rafael swallowed heavily, taking her in. He’d never really had a thing for blondes before, but he was going to have to rethink that, he realized as he stared at her hair, in a loose updo, with casual curls hanging down to the side of her face. Her blue eyes sparkled although her makeup was light, with only a soft pink gloss on her lips truly noticeable. She had on a simple maxi dress with long sleeves that crossed low in the front; the fabric was a lovely navy print and ended just above her ankles. Her heels were red but short, and her nails were done in a soft lavender, chosen because of his affinity for the color. Both colors tied into the print on her dress. She smiled widely and tilted her head to the side. “You like?”

“Mmm...just a little,” he responded, stepping toward her and embracing her. “More like love. And you smell divine...what is that?”

She chuckled. “It’s called ‘Beautiful’.”

“Fitting.” 

At his teasing grin, she rolled her eyes. “Such a flirt, Mr. Barba. So...what’s the plan for tonight?” Noticing the chef behind them, in his kitchen, she murmured, “Am I overdressed?”

“You’re perfect,” he assured her. “I thought, if it were all right with you, we’d have a night in? Appetizers, drinks, a nice meal that neither of us has to cook? Plus an amazing dessert to see the year off with…”

Resting her hands on his shoulders, she smiled. “I think that sounds like perfection. What’s our menu?”

“You’ll see in a minute. Come this way.” He led her into the living room and she took a seat on the leather couch. He took a seat next to her, resting an arm around her just as the chef from the kitchen came into the room to introduce herself.

“Good evening! My name is Tara and I’ll be your chef and server tonight. You must be Amanda?” she asked, addressing the detective.

“That’s me,” she nodded,”and I’m really excited about this!”

Tara laughed. “Good! Rafael and I have worked together to design a menu for tonight that we hope you’ll really enjoy.” She handed Amanda a beautiful printout outlining their meal. “To start, though, can I get you a drink?”

Amanda looked up from the menu. “A mojito, maybe?” She was trying to remember what alcohol Rafael normally stocked, other than scotch. She usually drank beer.

“One for each of us, please,” Rafael added.

“Terrific. I’ll be back in a minute.” Tara headed toward the kitchen, and Amanda turned to Rafael and smiled. He was nervous, she knew, and she was fairly certain she knew why.  _ At least he already knows my answer, _ she reassured herself, taking his hand in hers.

She loved him tremendously. In fact, she loved him so much she didn’t like to think about it, because it scared her to feel that vulnerable. The fact they’d been friends for years before getting together only made their connection stronger. She’d always thought he was smart and funny, incredibly dedicated and perfectionistic. She’d also always thought he was interested in somebody else...Benson or Carisi, which one, it seemed to vary. 

And then he’d killed a baby.

He left, and everything changed. Once he was gone, she’d realized exactly how good he was at his job, and exactly how much she valued him, both professionally and personally. And then he’d shown up on her doorstep with a present for Billie a year and a half ago, shortly after she was born. She’d had no problem inviting him in that day, or any after.

She doubted she’d ever dated anyone with the level of moral development that Rafael Barba had. In fact, she doubted she’d ever known another person who thought about things as deeply, who reasoned with such complexity, who understood the nuances of the rights and the wrongs of people’s actions and motivations. She also doubted that she’d ever dated a man as suited for her. He understood her, her thinking, her emotions, in a way nobody else had, and she understood him, his life, his history, because it was in some ways so similar to hers. They complemented each other, like yin and yang. And somehow, over time, they’d come to realize that they brought each other a lot of happiness, a boatload of contentment, and sometimes, even a sprinkling of joy. And perhaps most importantly, but certainly just as important, he liked her girls. Not only loved them, but he actually  _ liked  _ them. He willingly volunteered to take Jesse to the theater. He had taken Billie to swim lessons. He asked about them, made plans to see them, and included them in whatever was going on. He treated them as people rather than necessary, albeit pesky, extensions of her. The girls adored him, their faces brightening up whenever he entered the room, and she recognized their expressions. It was the same one printed on her heart.

She squeezed his hand now, trying to connect, and his foot stopped tapping against the floor and he smiled back. He was ridiculously handsome even if he was ten years older than her. He’d grown his facial hair into a short, well-trimmed beard because he knew how much she liked it, particularly the reminder he’d leave on her thighs after time spent lovemaking. And tonight he was wearing her favorite jeans, a dark wash that clung heavenly to his thighs and ass, and a wine-colored henley that outlined his biceps and chest. She glimpsed the outline of his nipples through his shirt, and a flush of desire shot through her.

He was a thoughtful and generous lover. Before Rafael, her only guaranteed orgasms had been the ones she gave herself. But he’d changed all that. He made a habit of bringing her to orgasm before he came, and on the occasions that didn’t happen, he brought her immediately after. He was creative and kind, and God, was he a talker! She’d never talked so much in bed before. He wanted directions, opinions, ratings, descriptions, and anything else that might help him be a better lover, and how could she fault him for that? And no matter what, he always asked for consent. She’d never had a partner do that before. His actions, even more than his words, had shown that he not only loved but respected her, and to be honest, that blew her mind.

“Here we are!” Tara rolled in a small, attractive cart and handed each of them the promised mojito. “We have some appetizers to start out with as well. This is a baked brie with raspberry coulis and a variety of crackers; this is something new we’ve created that’s a kind of philly cheesesteak wonton with a hot cheddar dip. And finally, these are cherry tomatoes stuffed with a fresh tuna dill salad. Can I get you anything else right now?”

“This looks wonderful, Tara,” Rafael said, “Thank you so much!”

“Yes, thank you!” Amanda echoed excitedly. She reached for one of the cherry tomatoes and popped it into her mouth quickly.

“Ooh, she’s hungry!” Rafael teased, cutting into the brie and spreading some on a cracker. “Good choice, Barba!” He held the cracker up to her mouth. “Want?”

“Yes please,” she agreed, and he fed her a bite of the cracker, then popped the leftover into his own mouth. “Good, huh?” she asked him, swallowing the cracker.

“Fantastic. I’ve had this a few times before and really liked it. Have you ever had baked brie?” He spread a couple more crackers, handing her another one.

“Yeah, but it’s been forever. Shockingly, baked brie is not on the dinner rotation at the Rollins household.”

He chuckled. “Oh come on. You can convince those girls that this is like...like...a fancy grilled cheese or something, right?” He took a bite of the wonton. “Oh wow...this is really good too.”

Amanda laughed. “We sound like we need to get out more.” She followed his move with the wonton, and moaned as she swallowed. “Okay, can we hire her? A few times a week?”

Rafael snorted. “I wish. You know what I eat when I’m not with you, right? Whatever I can grab from a vending machine or a street stand.”

“Yeah, one day that street stand stuff is gonna kill you, you know.” She grabbed another cherry tomato, slipping it into her mouth and thinking she needed to slow down.

He took a long drink of his mojito. “You keep saying that, but I think as long as I stick to stands in the city, I’ll be okay. I mean, my alternative is not to eat...or to pack something, and we all know THAT’S not going to happen.”

Her mouth was full when he said it and she almost choked on the bite, laughing at the blatant truth he’d just told. She knew it was true. She’d seen him walk right past her in the morning to head out the door instead of just smearing some jelly on bread. He’d eat it, though, if she smeared it on there for him.

“Rafael, Amanda, we have about five more minutes before dinner. Just wanted to let you know we’ll be moving to the dining room in a few minutes.” Tara stepped out of the kitchen for a minute to update them.

“Thanks so much, Tara,” Rafael replied, smiling, and the chef went back into the kitchen.

“Before we go to dinner…” He turned more closely toward her, then ran a hand along the back of her neck, pulling her forward into a kiss. His tongue touched hers lightly and his hand settled on her thigh.

“Ooh, tomato and cheesesteak, yum!” she teased, pulling back and ending the kiss. She pressed a quick, gentle one to his nose. “I love you. Thank you for doing this for me...for us.”

“You’re very welcome,” he told her, expression soft and content. “I love you too, Mandy.”

“Whenever you all are ready,” Tara announced, “Dinner is ready for the dining room.”

***

“Absolutely delicious.” Amanda took a sip of her wine. “This is absolutely divine.”

Salmon stuffed with a crab and shrimp filling, asparagus, and roasted winter vegetables, along with a half-dozen cocktail shrimp and sauce was their dinner, and Amanda didn’t know when she’d eaten so well. When she was dating Al, he had wined and dined her impressively, telling her she was worth it, and the whole time hired prostitutes behind her back. Rafael didn’t take her out to fancy dinners very often. He was more likely to be cooking mac and cheese in her microwave to make a quick dinner for her girls when she was running late. Where Al had given her bouquets upon bouquets of flowers, Rafael had bought her one pot of mums on Mother’s Day and handed it to Jesse to give her as a Mother’s Day present. That was the only Mother’s Day present she’d ever received from her four-year old daughter, and they meant the world. They were still flourishing on her windowsill.

“We should take a class sometime,” Rafael mused after swallowing a bite of salmon. “Learn how to cook like this for ourselves, you know? I would love to have a skill like this.”

“I bet you would,” she teased. “It’s sexy! You’d be looking for your next conquest.”

He chuckled, grinning into his plate, but his cheeks flushed red. As cocky as this man could be in the courtroom--and he was incredibly cocky--he was incredibly humble about his own attractiveness. In fact, it had taken her months to convince him that her compliments about his body were indeed sincere. She’d seen women flirt with him before, compliment him in an effort to make an impression or to impact a case he was working on. It was no surprise to her that he got so many compliments. The surprise had only been in the fact that he’d rarely gotten ones without motivation. When she’d learned that little tidbit about him after a night of pillow talk, she’d made a point to throw his game off, complimenting him regularly on everything from his hair to his cologne to how he man-groomed. And each compliment had absolutely no purpose other than to flatter him.

“Actually,” he said, taking a sip of wine, “the only person I’m looking to impress these days is you.”

A flush of heat ran through her again. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one dishing out the flattery. She slipped her foot out of her shoe, then slowly ran it up the inside of his calf and watched as his eyes shifted to catch her gaze. They stayed there as her foot dragged up and down, and he sipped his wine, pretending all the blood in his body hadn’t just flooded his groin.

Most of the time, she was Amanda, his partner in day to day life, but tonight, she was gorgeous, a goddess, it seemed. His mind was playing evil, sexy tricks on him, giving him flashbacks of her astride him, moving frantically; of her under his home desk, one breast bared and his cock sliding in and out of her mouth; of her bare on this very dining table as he fucked her, bringing both of them to a dizzying climax. As she pulled her foot away, his thoughts shifted back to the here and now, and he took another bite of his dinner.

***

“Would you like to go out on the balcony now that dessert is done?” he asked her, and she nodded, taking the hand he had outstretched to her.

“That sounds like a lovely idea,” she grinned, standing, and they made their way out to his balcony.

It was a small area, connecting to both his living area and the master bedroom, and overlooked Central Park. He had furnished it with a couple of comfortable Adirondack chairs and a small round table between the two. There were several plants, including a couple containers that he used for gardening during the warmer part of the year. All in all, it was a small, cozy, but comfortable space with a terrific view. 

It was softly snowing, and despite being up seven floors, they could easily see and hear the crowds below, ready to celebrate the new year. Amanda moved closer to the railing and watched the action going on in the park and the street; people were happily celebrating and anticipating the ball drop in a short while. Rafael moved up, close behind her, and his body provided a wonderful warmth. 

He pressed his lips to her temple. “I love you, Amanda. Happy New Year’s Eve, sweetheart.”

She turned around in his arms. “Happy New Year’s Eve, Rafael. Hopefully next year will be good to us, huh?”

He grinned and nodded. “Let’s hope so.” Reaching over, he caught her hand in his, then wrapped it in both of his palms, bringing it up to his mouth. “Your hands are cold!” he said, surprised. “Are you okay? Do you want to go back in?” 

She shook her head. “I’m fine, honey. Really.”

He made a funny sound in his throat, but kept her hand in his. “I had this great speech planned, and suddenly I can’t remember it.” He shook his head, and she knew he was embarrassed.

She brought her empty hand up to his, and squeezed. “Well, you already know the answer is going to be yes, so why don’t you just say whatever comes from your heart? I promise I won’t laugh.” They both winced immediately, and she tried to correct herself. “I mean, not that I would ever laugh at what you said, when it was serious...I just...oh God, I see why you’re struggling here.”

He snorted. “For someone who makes a living talking to people, I should be better at this…” He shook his head. “Sit down.” He motioned to the chairs, and they both took a seat.

After a moment, he turned to face her and took her hand in his again. “I love you, Amanda. I’ve always admired you, your spark, your wit...how intelligent and passionate and clever you are. The last thing I was expecting when I knocked on your door was a relationship like this. I thought you considered me to be a murderer, or at the very least, reckless. But you looked at me and saw...me, Rafael. And I fell in love with you, slowly and deeply and beautifully, until I couldn’t fight it and didn’t even want to. Being in love with you feels like being bathed in happiness and pleasure and contentment, every day. I’ve felt more peace, being with you, than I’ve ever felt, and I’ve been looking for my entire life. I can only hope that I give you the trust, the respect, the love that you give me, because you deserve every bit of it, hermosa. And if I do, and if you’re so inclined…” 

He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a box, then got up from the chair and made his way in front of her. He brought himself down to one knee and opened the box carefully, then turned it around for her to see. “Would you consider doing me the honor of being my wife?”

She had known it was coming, but the sincerity in his voice, the gentle love in his words, the efforts he’d made this night for her all overcame her, and she found herself speechless.

All she managed was an “Oh, Rafa…” as she stared at the ring in front of her. 

In absence of Amanda’s words, Rafael found himself beginning to talk to fill the silence. “Uh, it was my abuelita’s...my abuelo gave it to her when they got married in 1948. I had it cleaned and the setting checked, and it’s solid...I also had the jeweler add topaz and garnet for the girls...it’s their birthstones, y’know? So I thought---”

“Yes! Yes,” she gasped excitedly, her brain finally catching up, reaching out and cupping his face. “Yes, I will marry you, Rafael. I love you and I will marry you and I can’t wait to be your wife!”

She watched the anxiety vanish from his face. “Really? Yeah?” he asked, an easy, boyish grin taking over. 

She nodded. “Really, yes!” She kissed him excitedly, then pulled back and held out her hand. “Here, put it on...I wanna see…”

He scrambled to get the ring out of its box and clumsily slid it onto her finger. “There...there!” He held her hand, examining her finger. “So...what do you think? Do you like it? Because if it’s not your style or if you’d rather have something else, I can--”

“Don’t you dare! I love it, I love it, Rafa…” She held her hand straight out in front of her, then sighed. “It’s so beautiful, Rafael. I can’t believe you included the girls’ birthstones.” She grew quiet, and a moment later shook her head and brought her hand down.

“Amanda...are you okay? You all right?” he asked, standing next to her and resting a hand on her back.

She shook her head again, then wiped an eye. “Are you sure about this, Rafael? Are you sure you want to marry me? I’ve been known to be a hot mess--”

“Amanda.” He cupped her cheek with one hand. “I’m sure. Are you?”

She paused, looking out at the city. The countdown began, with the crowd below shouting, “TEN!...NINE!...” Sniffling, she nodded. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure.” She wrapped her arms around him, holding on, as the countdown continued. “TWO!....ONE!...HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

She pulled back to take in his face, handsome and emotional, and she chuckled wetly through happy tears. “Happy New Year, Rafa,” she whispered.

“Happy New Year, Mandy...a very happy new year to us, sweetheart.” He leaned in and kissed her, and she tightened her grip around him, thinking of how she never wanted to let him go.

***

“A toast!” Rafael declared, raising his glass. “To us, in a wonderful new year!”

“To us,” Amanda agreed, clinking his glass, “To the soon-to-be Barbas.”

They drank, first from one another’s glasses, then their own, before Rafael leaned over and kissed Amanda again. She leaned back against the dining room table, and smirked at him, raising an eyebrow. “This table’s made some memories this year, huh?” she teased, and he grinned and blushed, but didn’t look away. “Wonder what’ll happen to it next year?”

“We haven’t talked about that yet, have we?” He pulled out the chair next to her, where he had been seated during dinner, and sat down. “Combining two households...you have any thoughts about that? Obviously my place is bigger, but it may not be anything like what you want--”

“Hmm.” She took a sip of her champagne, then sat in his lap. “My place is going to be too small. I know you already know that. You say something about it regularly.”

“Your place was too small when it was just you and Frannie.” He winked at her, and she poked him in the rib, then reached over to the table to nab a cookie Tara had plated for them before she’d left, a small remnant of a delicious dessert she’d concocted featuring creme brulee with thin mint cookies on the side. “Is that as good as you look like it is?”

Amanda picked up another one and held it in front of Rafael’s lips. “Would you like to try one, honey? They’re absolutely delicious.”

He smirked back. “If you think you can spare one. But I don’t want to deprive you. I can see how much you’re enjoying them.”

“Can you, Papi?” She took a bite of the cookie and then giggled herself as he snorted and began to laugh. His hands suddenly moved to her hips and he pulled her further onto his lap.

“Oh, I can, ninita, and you’re bound to get a spanking if you’re not careful with your papi,” he teased before tangling a hand in her hair and pulling her head in for a sexy kiss.

She wrapped herself more fully around him, enjoying every bit of his physicality. He only did it when they were playing, but she loved it when he manhandled her. Knowing that he could, and that he never would if it wasn’t explicitly okay, turned her on immensely. “You are beautiful, Rafael Barba,” she murmured. “You are beautiful in every way.” He raised his own eyebrow, unsure of her, but she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. 

Meeting her gaze, he steadied his voice and reached up to stroke her hair. “You want to make love?” he asked, twisting her hair around his finger. “Spend a little time loving each other?” He glanced over her, then back to her eyes. “I’d love some time to touch you, taste you…”

“That’s funny,” she teased, “I thought you already had dessert.”

“Clever,” he smirked, drawing a line with his index finger from her chin, down her neck, over her breast, to a nipple. “I saved room for you.”

“Well, in that case.” She caught his hand, bringing it to her and slipping his index finger into her mouth. She could play, too.

***

They had slowly made their way back to the master bedroom, kissing throughout. He’d untied her belt somewhere in the kitchen, removed the dress in the hallway, then leaned her against the doorway of his room to slip her panties off and remove her shoes. She was without a bra tonight, something unusual for her, and he’d grinned when he’d removed her dress and found her out. Like it was a special surprise for him, and she decided to let him think so.

He carefully lay the dress on a chair, then turned to light a bevy of candles before admiring her. She was holding the wrist of her left arm by her right hand and biting her bottom lip, and he’d never seen her more beautiful. 

“What?” she asked quietly, nervous, well aware of the fact he was fully dressed and she was fully naked.

He exhaled slowly. “You’re just so beautiful in that ring.”

She flushed, looking down and smiling as he slowly stepped toward her, still dressed, despite the erection noticeably straining at his jeans. He ran his knuckles down her cheek, then leaned forward and kissed her deeply, slipping his hand behind her neck and tilting her head up. “I love you, Amanda,” he murmured. He gently maneuvered her backward until the back of her knees hit the seat of the recliner. He kissed her again, then said, “Sit down, honey.”

She knew what was coming, and felt a rush of wetness as she did as he asked. She’d no sooner taken a seat than he’d sunk to his knees and was carefully spreading one leg at a time, propping each wide open on a chair arm. She lay her head on the back of the chair, tilted to the side, and watched him work. He adjusted her body to the angles he felt were most beneficial, then he leaned forward and kissed the inside of her right thigh, just above her knee. “I love you,” he murmured, stroking the soft skin of her legs. “I’m so fortunate to have you in my life. I know I don’t tell you that enough. I know I don’t ask enough questions about your day.” He turned and kissed her left thigh, sucking firmly for a short minute, before letting go and inspecting his work. He ran a soft finger over the mark, noting it was barely there, then leaned down and sucked again just a tad bit harder. “I want you to remember how very much I want you, how desirable you are…” his eyes slowly met hers…”I want to make you feel good, Mandy...every night of your life, I want you to feel as perfect as you deserve.” He leaned forward and sucked again, just inches from her vulva, and she sighed, her own fingers hanging loosely, resting against her thighs as well. She felt his teeth and a quick, sharp nip before his tongue gently soothed the spot, and she allowed herself to moan. So hungry for it, she thought, she could come in seconds…

His thumbs gently opened her and he circled her clit with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth. He sucked rhythmically, listening to her sigh and feeling her fingers stroke his scalp. He felt high and began to lap at her, then circle her clit in rhythm. His cock was hard and heavy between his legs, and he could feel precum dampening the inside of his boxers. He glanced upwards and saw she had one hand in her own hair, playing with it softly, and her mouth was open as she sighed repeatedly. He began to pull back but she arched forward, trying to stay pressed against him. Knowing how good she felt, he pulled back completely and smirked at her. “Feel good, baby?” he murmured, slipping a finger inside of her slowly and circling it.

“Mmhmm...yes.” The hand in his hair continued to stroke and pet him. “Please don’t stop...it’s just so good.”

“Mmm.” He buried his mouth against her again, circling and sucking, then gently stroking her outer lips with his thumbs. He could feel her rhythmically pressing against his mouth, his tongue, until she suddenly grasped the back of his head and cried out. She held him, pressed firmly against her, and he did his best to flick his tongue in the same rhythm he’d been moving in all this time. 

Her breasts arched forward, and she threw her head back, crying out repeatedly, “Rafa...Rafa...please…oh God, yes...so good, so good, please…”

He wanted to answer her, to encourage her to keep going, come harder, to tell her she was more beautiful than any woman had ever been. But she needed him to keep going…

“No more, no more,” she gasped, pressing her fingers between her vulva and his mouth. “Please, no more…”

He leaned down and kissed her thigh again, then rested, trying to catch his breath. “You’re so beautiful, Amanda Rollins. I can’t wait to call you my wife.”

Suddenly, he found himself being pushed back against the bed, on the floor. “Get up here, lover boy,” she commanded, patting the mattress and grinning sexily. “You’ve worked hard. Now your job is to lay there on your back and enjoy the show.” She helped him get arranged, partially sitting against the back of the bed, before she straddled him and slowly sank down.

“Unh.” He made a whimpering noise as she sank down on him, and his eyes closed. “Oh God, Mandy...Jesus, good…”

She leaned forward and pressed a messy kiss against the corner of his mouth. Holding either side of his head, she whispered, “Need you, baby...I love you...gonna make it so good for you, Rafa.” 

She quickly rode him, writhing up and down in his lap until he swore he could no longer make sense of anything. All he knew was the sweet, sweet friction of her pussy against his cock, her breasts rubbing against his chest, and her mouth licking, nipping, tasting his own. He drove up over and over again as she pressed down and back and up, opposite from him. He opened his eyes, lost in the sensation, and she was holding him, sweating and gasping and grinning, and in that moment, he lost all control.

“Manda!” he cried, grabbing onto her sweat-slicked body as he lost control of his own, coming hard inside of her. He arched himself, burying as deep as he could, mouth open and groaning as pleasure rippled all through him.

When he opened his eyes again, he was propped against the headboard, still sheathed within her. Amanda’s head was resting on his shoulder and she was slowly stroking the hair at the back of his neck. After a minute, he felt his own fluids leaking back onto him, but didn’t make any move to clean up yet. She felt too perfect pressed against him, still.

He felt her lips against his cheek, his jaw. “I love you, guapo,” she murmured, nibbling on his earlobe. “You’re one of the best things to ever happen to me, and I can’t wait to be your wife.”

Rafael pulled back, smiling softly before pressing his lips to hers. “I’m going to be your husband,” he whispered, almost shyly, and she broke into a huge grin. Her grin caused them both to giggle and he repeated, “Gonna be your husband, Rollins...how about that? You like that?”

  
She kissed him. “I love that. I love  _ you,  _ Barba...I love you.” 


End file.
